Collegiate Theatrics: USC's CHRIS RAMIREZ

Theater's next generation of actors will come from all over the globe, to be certain, but one might find an impressive concentration of artists on the campus of the University of Southern California, where the list of candidates for the Master of Fine Arts in acting rivals any group to be found anywhere.

Chris Ramirez is an excellent example of the talented, driven and committed individuals honing their craft at USC. A native of Kansas City, Kansas - "aka Wyandotte County, aka The Dotte!" - he earned his B.A. in theatre performance at the University of Kansas before heading westward to USC.

And in an example of giving credit where credit is due: "And I'd like to shout out my mentor Nicole Hodges-Persley back at KU for helping me get into grad school. Without her guidance, I'm not sure where I'd be," he contends.

Now, through March 6, Ramirez joins his classmates, his friends, his comrades - his very theatrical family, to be sure - to take the stage during this year's MFA Acting Repertory at the Scene Dock Theatre, bringing to new life onstage productions of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's The Threepenny Opera (adapted by Marc Blitzstein) and Anna Deveare Smith's Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992. Also featured in repertory is The Oresteia Project, inspired by Aeschyus' Oresteia, written and directed by David Bridell in collaboration with the MFA Acting Class of 2016.

Here is your opportunity to get to know USC's Chris Ramirez in this week's version of Collegiate Theatrics, who took time out from his harried schedule - doing three shows in repertory is not for the faint of heart - to talk about his experiences in grad school and what he looks forward to in the future and tells us what his theatrical aspirations are...

What's been your favorite part of studying at USC? Watching my ensemble work and grow together. I learned more from them than anything.

Has graduate school at USC lived up to its advance hype? Whatever "hype" there may be, I was pretty unaware. So I can't speak to other people's expectations on what grad school is supposed to be, but I personally have had so much fun. I've learned, I've struggled, I've grown, I've worked hard and if anyone is interested in that, than yeah I guess it does live up to the hype.

What's your best/favorite/most impactful experience in grad school (I hate the word "impactful," but it works best for me here...)? I worked on Betrayal by Harold Pinter and Andy Robinson directed us. I think I learned the most about acting and what it meant to be present. I'll never forget that time.

What's been the biggest difference of studying theater in grad school as opposed to undergrad? Besides a maturity aspect of being around older more experienced actors, the difference is the passion. People are really interested in digging in and understanding the craft of Acting. They want to do this as a career. It's not a hobby for them and that pushed me to go further.

Have your dreams and aspirations changed over the course of your time at USC? No.

Where do you hope to find yourself in five years? In five years, I want to be on-set or on location opposite Oscar Isaac.

If anyone could play you in a stage or film version of your life story, who would you choose? And what would be the title of the script? If he would be interested in acting I'd choose hip-hop artist Kendrick Lamar and the film would be called The Cross Roads.

In addition to the MFA Acting Repertory from February 6 to March 6, USC's MFA Class of 2016 will be featured in a pair of showcases in New York and Los Angeles:

• NEW YORK: Wednesday, April 20, at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at The Ailey Citigroup Theatre at The Ailey Studios, 405 West 55th Street
• LOS ANGELES: Tuesday, April 26, at 7 p.m. and Wednesday, April 27, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Odyssey Theatre, 2055 South Sepulveda Boulevard

For more information about USC's Class of 2016 MFA Actors, who also will be featured in Collegiate Theatrics for the next few weeks, go to www.dramaticarts.usc.edu/showcase 2016/mfashowcase/

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